


he didn’t know me yet

by lesbianenderman (eghed)



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Imagine Everyone in Cowboy Hats, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Penumbra Mini Bang, Wild West AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 04:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17636066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eghed/pseuds/lesbianenderman
Summary: Sheriff Juno Steel has been working in the little desert down of Hyperion City for decades, but when he recieves a threat and meets a mysterious stranger, will that position be challenged?Written for the Penumbra Mini Bang 2019!





	he didn’t know me yet

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from jobless monday by mitski (:

Hyperion City.

Well, if we’re being honest, city is rather generous. In its prime, Hyperion had been a wildly important trading post—its location in the middle of the desert was surprisingly attractive to travelers. Now, though, the age of item exchange is coming to a close as paper currency becomes more common. Half of Hyperion’s residence have wised up and fucked off to some urban area, but among those few escapees was not Juno Steel, city sheriff. 

Juno is a sun-beaten, hard-eyed, and time weathered lady who’s as intimidating as he is good at his job. He keeps crime to a minimum while also appeasing the odd requests and complaints of the townspeople. If he’s honest, he absolutely hates his job, but somebody’s gotta do it. If he left... he doesn’t want to think about what would happen. No one knows how to maintain control like he does. The city would fall apart without him. 

Or maybe that’s just what he tells himself so he doesn’t think too hard about how trapped he feels. 

His days all seem to start the same: wake up, brush his teeth, get dressed, drink coffee, walk past the big sheriff elections sign to his office, ruffle his secretary’s hair and get to work. He’s halfway to his office when he realizes something is off. There’s a steady squealing sound coming from the direction of his little building, and there’s a small trail of smoke coming out the window. In a panic, thinking Rita’s managed to light a case file on fire, he picks up into a run and slides through the door, trench coat flowing behind him. 

“Rita!” He calls, frantically turning past her cluttered desk and back into his office. She’s in there, of course, but nothing is on fire; she’s just got a cigarette going. That hardly settles Juno’s nerves, though, because Rita only smokes when she’s under a lot of stress. She’s holding a piece of paper in one trembling hand and holding her smoke close to the window. Her head shoots up at him. Her eyes are very watery.

“Oh, boss, thank goodness you’re here! I’m sorry for getting your office all smoky, but I really really needed—“ 

“I don’t care where you smoke, Rita,” he grumbles, dropping his lunch pail next to his desk and snatching the paper from her hand. “What is this?”

Now safely in his hands, only slightly stained with Rita’s morning finger painting, is what appears to be some kind of ransom note. The letters are cut out from different newspapers and advertisements. All put together, it reads:

 

“SHERIFF JUNO STEEL,  
I HATE TO DISTURB YOU, MA’AM, BUT I AM AFRAID I MUST ASK YOU TO LEAVE TOWN IMMEDIATELY. YOUR SERVICE AS SHERIFF HAS ABSOLUTELY NOT BEEN APPRECIATED, AND IT’S HIGH TIME SOMEONE FIXED THIS TOWN UP. SAFE TRAVELS, IF YOU ARE NOT GONE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS’ TIME I WILL BE BACK AND I WILL NOT BE QUITE SO CHIVALROUS!  
UNDYINGLY YOURS,  
R.G.”

 

“What the hell,” Juno mumbles. Rita nods. 

“Tell me about it, boss! Why would anyone want you to leave town? You’re a great sheriff! And I don’t wanna lose my job, either!” Rita’s watery eyes are spilling onto her exaggeratedly rosy cheeks. Juno pulls his handkerchief out of his pocket and hands it to her, then takes off his hat and sits down. 

“R.G.,” He whispers. He digs around in his desk drawers for a moment before heaving out a deceptively heavy small book. It’s the town directory. He flips through until he reaches the G page. 

“Randy Georg, no, he’s illiterate,” he says to himself. “Ruth Gondola, nah, she stopped getting the newspapers years ago.” 

“She could’ve borrowed a couple from a neighbor?” Rita says inquisitively. Juno jumps; she’s been reading over his shoulder the whole time. 

“She stopped getting the paper ‘cause she died,” he grunts, “go finish your finger painting.”

“You got it, Mr. Steel!” She salutes and marches back to her post. Juno rolls his shoulders and looks back in his book. There are no more R.G.’s, so he flips to the R section. In the middle of the page it says “Rita” with no last name and no other information, which is kinda weird. Of course, there are still no R.G.’s, but there’s a G.R.; Gina Rathaway. Juno groans. 

“She’s eight,” He says and presses his face into the table. After a moment of wallowing, he decides he isn’t going to get anything done like this, so he puts his hat back on and walks a block over to the saloon.

Once inside, he stretches out on the edge of the bar like a cat in the sun and rests his chin in his hand. The barkeep, a short, beefy guy named Mick strolls over to him. 

“What’ll it be, J? The usual?” He says brightly. Suspiciously brightly, for somebody who works in one of the slowest and smelliest establishments this side of the Nowhere Badlands. Juno frowns.

“Is Mick Mercury your given name?” He asks.

“Uh, yeah? Named after my good ol’ peepums. He died of mercury poisoning!” 

“Right. Obviously. Yeah, my usual, please.” 

Mick gives him a finger gun and walks off to get a frosty glass. While he’s away, Juno hears the saloon doors swing open. He turns his head in his hand and almost has to cover his eyes from the glare of the steadily rising sun in the sky. Then, he’s nearly blinded by something else: the sheer attractiveness of the man standing in the doorway.

He has medium skin that’s covered in big freckles, black hair that’s slicked back but not greasy-looking, a long neck (and long fingers and legs; he’s a pretty long guy in general), and the most devilish smile Juno has maybe ever seen. 

He gulps and sits up straight. 

The man strolls leisurely into the bar (not that Juno is watching or anything!) and takes a seat two away from Juno. He waves to Mick, who immediately pops to his aid. 

“I’ll have a pink lemonade and a bowl of olives, please, and whatever the lady to my left would like.” He flashes Juno a wink. He tries not to let it show how quickly his foot is tapping under the counter. Mick laughs. 

“Whaddaya say, J, you gonna let this stud pay for your whiskey?” He slides the whiskey and the bowl of olives to their respective patrons as he speaks. Juno clears his throat. 

“Money is money, Mick. Thank you, uh...?” He motions for the man to introduce himself. He smiles, more friendly than devious this time. 

“Duke Rose, at your service,” He says and holds out his hand. Juno grabs it. Duke gives it a firm shake. “And you are?”

“I’m the sheriff,” he says, and then: “Oh, my name! Right. I’m Juno Steel.” He takes a sip of his whiskey. Duke pauses where he’s eating an olive to raise his eyebrows. 

“Sheriff, huh? You got any handcuffs on you?” 

Juno chokes on his drink. Mick chokes on his laughter. 

“I don’t—I mean, I’m off duty! I can’t just go around arresting people!” He says, choosing to ignore the innuendo for everyone’s sake. Duke nods. 

“If only all officials of the law thought like you, ma’am.” He raises an olive as if in a toast and pops it into his mouth. Juno laughs half-heartedly. 

“I’ll drink to that, buddy,” he says, and so he does. He winces. “Mercury, this stuff is nasty. You make this yourself?” Mick looks at him with mock offense.

 

“J, you wound me! If I had made it, you’d be passed out by now.” 

“Touché,” Juno nods. Mick hands a frosty cup of rosy liquid to Duke, who gratefully takes a sip and then scoots two seats over. He’s next to Juno now. 

“Is it really safe to drink this early in the morning?” He asks. He eats another olive. Olives and pink lemonade don’t really seem like they’d be good together, but Juno rolls it off. Everybody’s taste is different, just like Juno’s taste in the societal rules for alcohol consumption. 

“Anything’s safe if you drink enough water. That’s what my secretary always says, anyway.” 

“Oh, and he has a secretary!” Duke says mischievously. “Isn’t he just big and important.” Juno rubs the back of his neck. 

“Oh, I just need help sorting my papers and writing letters.”

“Can’t write letters, hm? Hands busy with anything else?” Juno sputters. 

“I, I have really bad handwriting!” He exclaims, taking an olive from Duke’s bowl and chomping on it bitterly. Duke throws his head back (long neck long neck long neck) and laughs.

“Juno, you really are a delight,” he says as he calms down. He places a hand on Juno’s shoulder. “I would absolutely love to get to know you better.”

Juno smiles. “Thank you, Duke, you aren’t so bad yourself.”

“Although I must admit,” Duke pauses and moves his hand tentatively just above Juno’s knee. “That isn't the only thing I’d like to do with you.”

Juno blanks. He’s not a sexually inexperienced person, of course; he’s an attractive bi guy, he’s gonna get around. It’s just that he hasn’t... gotten anywhere in a while. He sighs. 

“Duke, you are...” He pauses. “Unfairly attractive.” Duke grins and taps his fingers where they’re resting on Juno’s thigh. “However, it’s barely nine o’clock, and my secretary’s probably... Ugh. I’m gonna have to pass for now.” 

Duke looks a little dejected, but he brightens quickly. 

“Of course, Juno. But you know where to find me if you change your mind,” He gives Juno’s thigh a deceptively friendly pat and then removes his hand. 

“I, uh, yeah,” Juno says. He downs the last sip of his whiskey and slides a ten across the bar to Mick. “I’ll see you around, Duke.” 

And he does. He meets a smiling Duke that night around five when he gets off work and… 

Well. You know. 

He’s gone before Duke wakes up. 

The next day, he wears the collar of his thick jacket high. Rita doesn’t say anything, but she looks back at him and snickers every once in a while. He ignores her and turns over the note in his hands. There are no fingerprints anywhere, which is annoying. He’s concluded that R.G. is either an out-of-towner or a very anti-social resident. But what’s the motive? He decides to take it to the streets. 

“Rita,” he says and her head shoots up. “Grab a notepad. We’re doing interviews.” 

“On my way, boss!” 

The two of them bustle into the streets, notepads and pens in hand. They wander in and out of buildings, stopping anyone who’s willing and asking them questions. They haven’t gotten anywhere when they walk past the election sign again and Juno furrows his brow. 

The sign is fairly simple: his name and campaign information on one side and his rival’s on another. He’s running against a guy named Ramses O’Flaherty, who has a thick white beard and crispy blue eyes that really do makes Juno uncomfortable. He’s an intimidating and elusive man. Juno doesn’t know why anyone would vote for him. Maybe they’re just sick of him?

Juno sighs. It’s not unlikely. 

But he shakes himself off. That isn’t why he’s looking at the sign. He remembers, at a council meeting he had to attend, O’Flaherty had said that he didn’t think Juno was mentally fit to be sheriff. He thought Juno’s “deeply rooted anger issues” would cause his legal rulings to be unjust and reckless. Remembering the interaction makes Juno’s blood boil; he doesn’t have anger issues, he has depression, and he’s never once made an arrest based on how he was feeling. If he did that, Ramses would be long since locked up. 

Not that that’s a huge issue. He’s certain Ramses returns the sentiment, because he’s certain Ramses is the one who sent him the note. 

He nudges Rita. “Hey, can you dig up Ramses O’Flaherty’s city files? They should all be public, ‘cause he’s a political figure, but if they aren’t…” He gives her a look. She smiles a kitten-like smile, hefts her skirts, and stomps off down to the office.

Juno rubs his shoulders and pulls out his pocket watch. It’s a quarter to one. That’s late enough, right? He starts toward the saloon. He’s about halfway there when he’s stopped by a hand grabbing his elbow. Alarmed, he whips around and moves his hand toward the pistol on his belt, but all that’s there is a stern-looking Sasha Wire, navy blue cowboy hat and all.

“You’re not thinking of getting drinks at a time like this, are you?” She says. Her expression is neutral, unless you count the lines between her eyebrows from years of scowling. 

“A time like what, Sasha,” he says, putting his weight on one leg.

“A time like ‘you’re being threatened by some kind of spy’, Juno,” she states. Juno raises his eyebrows. 

“One of these days, you’ll learn to be a good friend and to stop Rita when she’s going on about my professional life.”

“Today isn’t that day, Steel. Let’s head back to your office; you have work to do.” 

“God. Fine,” he gives up. Sasha offers him her arm, which he takes, and they stroll towards his little building. 

Once inside, he finds Rita sitting on top of her desk with several papers and a plate of pretzels sprawled around her. She’s chewing on the edge of her rosy pink sleeve as she reads, eyes narrowed slightly. When she hears the door open, she sits up quickly and brightens. 

“Sasha!” She cheers and hops off the desk. The wind from her dress blows a few papers onto the floor. Juno scrambles to pick them up as Rita kisses her girlfriend. 

“Hey, Ritz,” Sasha says, uncharacteristically affectionate, “Workin’ hard?” 

“Oh, you bet, darling!” Rita grabs Sasha’s hand and leads her to the pile of papers. Juno tags along and reads over Rita’s shoulder. 

“Now, at first, my research was just leading to a ton of dead ends. Just all the philanthropy O’Flaherty has been up to this last decade, you know. But it started getting a little weird the farther back I went! Look at this: there’s literally nothing on record for this fella before twenty years ago! Not as in he moved, or something, he just didn’t exist!” Rita claps as she speaks. Sasha looks on fondly. 

“Twenty years ago when, Rita?” Juno asks. He scans the file she’s been looking at. 

“Why, just about a week from today!”

Election day. Juno gulps. He rakes a hand through his hair. That was Juno’s first full year as sheriff. If Ramses had shown up exactly then…

“Keep looking into it,” he grumbles. Rita salutes and eats another pretzel. Sasha leans against the desk and watches Juno start for his office. 

“Hey, Steel, you’ve got mail,” She says. He turns around and she hands him a crisply folded piece of parchment. There’s no return address. 

“Can I catch a damn break,” he mumbles and opens the note. It’s the same news clippings as before, but this time they look a bit more scrapped together. They read:

 

“SHERIFF STEEL! I’M TERRIBLY SORRY TO SEE THAT YOU HAVEN’T SPLIT TOWN YET. I MUST ADMIT, I’D RATHER DO THIS THE EASY WAY, BUT IF IT’S THE HARD WAY YOU CRAVE I CAN CERTAINLY GIVE IT TO YOU. YOU ARE UNFIT TO BE SHERIFF. IF YOU’D LIKE TO PROVE ME WRONG, GO TO THE TOWN SQUARE TOMORROW AT HIGH NOON AND WE’LL WORK IT OUT. BRING YOUR SECOND AND A PISTOL.  
ALL MY LOVE,  
R.G.”

 

Juno scowls and scrunches up the paper. 

“I’m getting a drink,” He calls to the girls. Rita gives him a thumbs up. He adjusts his hat and walks out the door. 

“Back so soon, J?” Mick says as he steps through the doors. Juno glowers at him and pats the bar, laying his head down on his arm. He hears Mick laugh, and then the tell-tale sound of liquid pouring in a glass cup. “What’s your deal today, buddy?” He asks. Juno sits up and takes a swig. 

“Nothing you can help with, Mercury.” Mick shrugs and puts a bowl of olives on the table. “Oh, nevermind, this’ll work. Thanks, pal—“ Mick snorts.

“Mr. Rose? Your snack’s ready. I had to go get a new jar, sorry it took a minute.”

Juno stiffens as a familiar good-smelling guy takes the seat next to him. Duke flashes a smile at him and pops an olive in his mouth.

“Sheriff! You’re still here! I thought you had skipped town to get away from me,” He says with a wink. Juno coughs. 

“No, of course not. I had to, uh, leave for work.” 

“In the middle of the night?” Duke looks at him with mock confusion. Mick snorts and tries to hide it with a comically fake sneeze. Juno fixes him with a glare. He holds up his hands and walks into the back room.

“Listen, Duke, I had… a really fantastic time last night. I promise it was nothing personal, I just…” 

“Oh, there are no hard feelings, Juno, I’m just pulling your leg!” Duke pats his bicep, and then pats it again, and then swallows visibly. Juno is filled with the sudden urge to flex. “Um. Uh, anyway, what cases are you cracking today?” He folds his hands on the bar and stares intently. He’s kind of an intense guy, Juno’s learning. 

“Just, you know, sheriff stuff,” Juno says. “Confidential, or whatever.”

“Oh, surely you’ve shown me a few things more ‘confidential’ than this,” Duke says. Juno coughs. 

“Uh, yeah, but I can’t get thrown out of town for showing you my—“

“Haha, you got me there!” Duke cuts him off. His face is a little red. He leans in a little and speaks quietly: “Please, Sheriff, save it for my bedroom.” Juno smiles.

“I didn’t think you’d invite me back after I left,” Juno says. Duke raises his eyebrows. 

“Have you seen yourself? I couldn’t keep you away if I wanted to. And, for the record, I don’t.” His eyes are huge. He almost looks… scared. Juno gulps.

“What time is it?” He asks softly. Duke pulls out a pocket watch with his long fingers, looks at it, and then at Juno. 

“Four fifty-five,” He says. 

“I can clock out early,” Juno says. Suddenly, he’s embarrassed. Is he being too eager? It’s barely been a day, did Duke even have fun? 

But that vampire grin is back, now, and Duke is speaking. “I can hear you overthinking, darling, let’s get out of here.” 

And they do! Juno slams the rest of his whiskey and snatches up Duke’s hand. They race out of the saloon and Juno feels rather like a teenager, but with the day he’s having, he needs this. 

Duke’s place is a room in the local inn, Andromeda Lodge. Juno’s scarcely been inside the building; it’s too fancy for him, and Ramses owns it. He feels like he’d be chased out with pitchforks. Yet, for the second time, he stumbles up the red carpeted stairs into a spacious room on the third floor. 

Once the door closes, Juno feels himself being spun around and pushed against it. Duke just looks at him for a moment, eyes narrowed but smiling. He’s holding onto Juno’s upper arms like they’re life rafts. And then he’s holding onto Juno’s mouth with his mouth. Juno has to suppress his grin. 

They kiss their way over to the bed, which Juno carefully places Duke on and pulls away to slide off his coat and hat and unbutton his shirt. He huffs in frustration when the first button stubbornly doesn’t budge. Duke groans and, with rather more force than is quite necessary, rips the button free. Thankfully, Juno is now shirtless. Unthankfully, his shirt now has a large tear where several buttons used to be. Duke looks at him and he looks at Duke.

They both burst out laughing. 

“Goodness gracious, Sheriff, I’m so sorry!” Duke says with a wheeze. Juno wipes at his eyes. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Not like I’ve never left the house in just my jacket before,” he takes a deep breath to calm himself down. He’s got business to attend to.

“At least borrow something of m—mmph!” Juno’s kissing him again. He’s very handsome when he’s laughing.

“Kiss now, shirt later,” he mumbles and moves his mouth down to Duke’s neck, who nods enthusiastically. 

Of course, later comes much faster than Juno would prefer. He really meant to sneak out again, but after a long and rather exhausting night with one Mr. Rose, his internal clock shuts off. He wakes up at nine-thirty to an empty mattress and a little cup of coffee. Next to the coffee is a note, that reads:

 

“Juno—  
I’m terribly sorry to leave you lonely this morning. As you are a man of the law, I trust you not to steal anything! I’m also sorry about your shirt! Feel free to rifle through the top drawer of my dresser. I’m sure there’s something in there to fit over your ridiculous muscles. I’ll see you soon, stay safe until I do!  
Sincerely,  
D.R.”

 

Juno takes a sip of the coffee. It’s cold. He stands up heavily and pulls on his pants, then makes his way to the dresser and opens the noted drawer. The view inside is—odd, to say the least. 

The top general layer is clothes one would expect of one Duke Rose: a black corset, a wine-red button down, silk socks. Digging slightly beneath those, Juno finds a bright green frilly shirt, a much-too-large brown vest, a black poncho. Deeper still, Juno finds something that makes the hair on his neck stand up.

They’re magazines. Dozens of them, all with pages ripped out and letters cut from random sentences. Juno gulps and flips through them. No, no, no, that can’t be right! Duke wouldn’t…

Jesus. What kind of actual person is named Duke Rose? That’s the fakest name he’s ever heard. He puts his head in his hands and takes a heavy breath. He collects his evidence (and a shirt) and makes his way home. Rita’s there waiting for him.

“Mister Steel!” She cries. She wraps him up in a hug. “Where were you? We were worried sick!”

“We…?” Juno says. He looks past Rita into his sitting room to see Sasha and his brother, Ben. He’s sitting with his head in his hands, but he stands quickly when he hears Juno’s voice. 

“You’re a fucking dumbass, bro,” Ben says. He wraps Juno in a hug. His face is a little damp.

“Guys, what’s the big deal?” Juno stiffens in the hug and waits for Ben to release him. “I’m an adult. I’m allowed to go out. I can take care of myself.” 

Sasha and Rita look at each other and grimace. Ben pulls away but keeps a grip on his shoulders. He’s practically fuming.

“Juno, what the hell,” he bites, “you’ve been getting death threats for the past week and you’re asking what the big deal is?” Juno gulps.

“I—“ he groans. “I’m sorry. I’m perfectly safe, not a scratch on me.” That isn’t entirely true. “And, hey, I think I know who R.G. is.”

“You don’t sound very happy about that, Steel,” Sasha says. Juno laughs bitterly. 

“Can’t say that I am,” He says, “it’s not much of a pleasure to arrest someone you’ve… uh. Cover your ears, Ben?” 

He snorts and gives Juno a shove. “Fucking gross, dude!” Juno bites back a grin. “How did you even… nevermind. Forget I said anything, I literally don’t want to know.” 

Rita cackles. 

Juno explains to his friends the situation (leaving out most of the details) and shows them the most recent note. Ben offers immediately to be his second. Juno has his reservations, but he knows Ben can handle himself. They both can. 

Rita insists on getting him dressed up for the duel, putting him in his best hat and the boots with the highest heels (“You can’t look intimidating when you’re so short, boss!”) and a black bandana. Sasha offers him a pair of her shades, which he declines. They are far too stylish for him. 

Juno glances at the clock on his wall and grits his teeth. “Ten minutes,” He says. Ben shifts uncomfortably.

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” He says. Juno looks at him and tries not to feel guilty. 

“I… Yeah, in theory. But what kind of sheriff am I if I can’t take a challenge every once in a while? A cowardly one.” 

“An alive one,” Sasha says. Ben nods. 

“If anyone’s the coward, it’s this R.G. fella. Hell, it’s O’Flaherty. If he can’t even duel, he’s no sheriff.” 

“You’re darn right he’s no sheriff!” Rita calls from the kitchen. She then enters the room with a plate of pastries. She presents them ceremoniously to Juno. “To fuel your battle.”

“Thanks, Ritz.” He ruffles her hair and looks around at his friends. “All of you, really.” Ben grins and Sasha nods. “But this is something I have to do.” 

Ben’s face falls. Sasha stands up. 

“You heard the lady. Let’s get a move on.” 

The four of them make their way to the center of town. They pass Mick’s bar on their way, and when he hears what’s going on he tags along. Standing in the center, Rita fussed over the cuffs of his pants and Ben runs his thumb over the back of Juno’s hand habitually. He always does this when he’s nervous. 

The sound of hooves pulls them from their circle. A tall white horse comes to a stop across the center square from them. Some heads start to poke out of windows as the rider dismounts and dusts off their pants. They’re wearing an elaborate hat and a black poncho. Their face is covered by a white bandana, but Juno can recognize the freckles that aren’t covered. Duke Rose raises his head like he wants to speak, but thinks better of it. 

“I was right,” he says through gritted teeth. Ben squints into the sun. “Kind of you to show up,” Juno calls over.

“The pleasure is mine, Sheriff,” Duke says, and yeah, he’s lowering his voice on purpose, but it’s him. Whatever his name is. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Duke shrinks. 

Ben places the pistol into Juno’s hand and holds it there for a moment. “I love you,” He says. 

“Love you too.”

“Don’t die.”

“I’ll try not to.”

Ben pats his hand and lets it go. Rita and Mick grin at him and Sasha nods. They all step back. There’s a doctor that Juno doesn’t know standing by. He looks rich, so he’s probably also here for O’Flaherty. Not looking too great for team Juno, but he’ll make it work.

“Starting positions,” the doctor calls. Juno grits his teeth and steps his way closer to Duke, or whatever the hell his name is. They meet halfway. Juno turns his back to him.

“Fuck you,” He says. Duke is silent. 

Someone begins to count and Juno begins to walk. 

“Ten,” someone calls, and Juno feels glued to the floor.

What the hell is he thinking? He can’t kill somebody over his job. He’s a damn good sheriff. He shouldn’t have to hurt anyone to prove that. The proof is in his actions and his history in town, not in his ability to shoot!

He drops his gun and turns around—just in time to see Duke turning and firing his gun at the crowd that has formed. Juno tenses as the crowd parts to see Ramses O’Flaherty on one knee, clutching his side. 

“Duke, what the hell—“ Juno starts, but he’s interrupted by a firm hand grabbing his sleeve and pulling him onto the back of a horse. 

“I’ll explain in a minute!” Duke calls over his shoulder. Juno considers the consequences of dropping himself off the horse. Begrudgingly, he wraps his arms around Duke’s waist. 

They ride for a few minutes, briefly pursued by some of Ramses’ employees before they find themselves in a patch of desert and Duke parks the horse. He motions for Juno to get down. He does. 

“Start talking, Duke,” Juno says, “Or… R.G., or whatever the hell your name is.” 

“Peter,” He says. “My name is Peter.”

“Who cares!” Juno shouts. “You were working for O’Flaherty! You… you were going to shoot me!”

“Clearly I wasn’t,” Peter says, “if I was, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“That isn’t exactly helping your case.” Juno grits his teeth. 

“Juno—er, Sheriff Steel, you have to listen to me. I promise I can explain.”

Juno takes off his hat and fans himself with it. Then, begrudgingly: “Fine. But make it quick. My handcuffs are burning a hole in my pocket.”

“I thought you said you don’t just carry them around when you’re off duty?” Peter tries for a joke. Juno stares at him and he sighs. “Not a good time, I apologize. Alright. Here we go.” He removes his hat. 

“I am… a thief, by trade. People hire me to take valuable objects and deliver them safely and discreetly. On the occasion, though, one can name a price for which I’ll complete other jobs, more dangerous and hands on jobs. That was the case for this job, working for one Ramses O’Flaherty. But I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.

“I signed on with him under the name of Rex Glass, or your R.G. It was rather short notice, so I had little time to research my case before I took it. You have to understand, Sheriff, that the price he offered me was frankly obscene. Otherwise, I would have thought it through more. 

“I had a day in town to prepare, the day before you received the first letter. I began my research, first on you. I hate to say it, but many sources are rather negative towards you. It makes sense, considering O’Flaherty has a monopoly on the town records. I was expecting some… grizzled old man with no personality and no morals, so meeting you was a pleasant surprise.

“It wasn’t all good, though, because I also began to uncover some rather unsavory details about O’Flaherty. His past was very well hidden, but I managed to uncover his true identity as a man named Jack Takano. He had several entertainment businesses in several cities, but they all went bankrupt. He kept starting new ones until he was effectively chased out of town and forced to change his identity. 

“I also found out, Sheriff, that your mother was involved in several of his companies. It was easy to make the connection—Steel isn’t the most common last name, after all—and it seems he was jealous of how talented she was at business. He resented her, and I believe he has been taking it out on you. 

“Of course, my suspicions of his character were all but confirmed when I finally met you. You’re… well, you’re something else, Sheriff. You’re nobody that needs to be chased out of office. So, after our night together, I decided I would make myself as obvious as possible. Trust me, no matter how much a detective you can be, you would not have caught me if I had not wanted to be caught.”

Juno is quiet for a moment, processing. He hasn’t thought about his mom in a long time. The knowledge that O’Flaherty, or Takano, or whoever he is, could’ve caused what had happened to her…

He shakes it off. He can stew later, that part of his life is behind him now. 

“I said to make it quick,” He says. Peter throws his head back and just laughs. He laughs until he folds in on himself, out of breathe and teary-eyed. 

“I’m so sorry, Juno,” He says. “I lied to you. I understand if you want to arrest me, but if you’d be so kind I’d be happy to leave so you can forget about me forever—“

“Those are both bad options,” Juno cuts in. Peter looks up at him in surprise. “I mean… yeah, obviously I should arrest you. But you…” 

Peter waits. Juno sighs.

“You’re a very good kisser.”

Peter’s laughing all over again. He takes a cautious step towards Juno and places a hand on his neck. Juno leans into it, but he isn’t done yet. 

“You can’t stay here, obviously.” Peter nods, but his face has fallen a little. “But… you can write me, can’t you? Or is that against thief code?” 

“I’ll make it work,” he assures him. Juno smiles. 

“Good. Try to stay out of trouble, okay? We are going to see each other again.” Peter grins and kisses him. 

“I really hope you’re right.”


End file.
